The authority is one of the only boroughs in the county that does not allow the people it represents to speak when all 60 councillors meet.

In Guildford, for example, people are allowed to “ask one question relevant to the general work or procedure of the council or on a matter that specifically affects the borough”.

In Reigate & Banstead, they may ask one question relating to the borough as long as they do not exceed two minutes in length.

Doug Iles wrote to Elmbridge Council recently in the hope of asking about its position on the derelict Jolly Boatman site in East Molesey.

“Most other councils have this system. In Richmond you can apply to ask a question at a full council meeting, as well as a follow-up question,” he told the News & Mail.

“I thought I would give it a try at Elmbridge and it turned out they didn’t do it.

“It is an excellent idea because it is part of the local democracy process.

“I was really surprised that Elmbridge residents didn’t have the ability to ask questions because the borough is, in my view, a decent council.”

The authority’s constitution was created by the councillors themselves, although the public was not able to directly vote on it.

It sets out what rights people living and working in the borough have to participate in its decision-making process.

Residents can attend meetings of the council and its committees, except for those parts where exempt or confidential information is likely to be disclosed.

They may also attend meetings of the cabinet when key decisions are discussed and made.

As far as representations are concerned, a deputation of at least three people may elect a spokesperson to address the cabinet or a committee for a maximum of three minutes.

Councillors do have an opportunity to question the Cabinet at the beginning of the full council meeting.

Furthermore, once their original question is answered, they are allowed to put a supplementary question to the leader of the council, in a process similar to Prime Minister’s Question Time in the House of Commons.

Julie Llewellyn, who has campaigned against trees being chopped down on Esher Commons, said that Elmbridge should follow other councils’ lead.

“You have to have a process so that a meeting is not inundated with questions and to ensure they are relevant across the borough and to a full council meeting, because they do not all meet that often,” she said.

“If there was a format whereby questions could be tabled, I think that would make some sense.

“I cannot think that it would be a negative thing, particularly if other councils have found a way to make it work.

“It would make the authority much more accessible to the public, which, ultimately, the council is aiming to serve.”

Lawrence Jackman, who has previously campaigned to save a mock-tudor frontage on Walton High Street, said that it is more important to have question time at full council meetings than at sub-committee level.

“Obviously, you cannot have hundreds of people standing up, but it would be nice to have a question time for the public of around five to 10 minutes or even longer,” he said. “There seems to be an unbalanced situation at the moment.”

A spokeswoman for Elmbridge Council said that the residents can ask questions by asking one of the ward councillors to do so on their behalf.

They may also approach relevant portfolio holders and committee chairmen, as well as the leader of the council.

“It is our members who are the elected representatives of the public and this is the convention that we have adopted here,” she said.

“We have 60 members of the council and a member of the public has the right to contact any of them so that is a pretty open arrangement.

“If they want to query something, they can do it through the elected members and it doesn’t have to be just those who are for their area.”